Month: July 2018

July 30, 2018- I had the pleasure of visiting LitFire Publishing’s booth when I was at the London Book Fair in England last March. Here is a fabulous info-graphic about 15 amazing ways to create a book title. This is definitely one of my weaker points and I can’t tell you how often I struggle with naming my books!

July 25, 2018- Today, I’ll be giving you three things that you MUST DO if you want to create an unputdownable book. Yep, that’s right, Un Put Down Able is a real word that is in the dictionary. Who knew?

So, you want to create a novel that readers tell you that they just couldn’t stop reading?
Here’s what you need to do to ensure that this happens:

Start where the action is. You’ve got to get your reader hooked right out of the gate. If your intro is boring, what does that say about the rest of your book? I know that some people will say that it’s crazy to judge a book by the first page, but I’m here to tell you that people do. Start with action, and you’ll hook your reader for sure.

Create compelling problems for your characters. I’ve said this time and again, your reader MUST be invested in your characters, they must care about them, and be interested in seeing them solve the problems that you, the author, has presented them with. The conflict that you set up must be high stakes. It can be as simple as something like having two love interests and trying to decide between the two, or it can be something as complex as trying to save the world from an alien attack. Also be sure to layer the character’s problems for even more fun!

Pick up the pace. Literally. Shorten the end chapters, pick up the speed at which your reader reaches the end of your book. Make the last few chapters breakneck and be sure to tie up everything with a bow.

If you follow these three tiny tips, I promise that you will create something that is unputdownable for your readers! Happy Writing!

X LLB

My own novel, Obsessed with Her, where the last few chapters were shortened to a page or two.

July 20, 2018- The only thing worse than burning books is not reading them. Banned books? Really; are you kidding me? How can any book ever be banned? I don’t care what’s inside and as Oscar Wilde so intelligently said, “The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”

We can all have differences in opinion when it comes to art and art (books) is very subjective. That doesn’t mean that it should be banned. Check out this ASTONISHING list of banned books which I’m very proud to say that I’ve read 3/4 of them and the remaining just landed on my to-read list! I hope you’ll join me in reading these literary wonders. Happy Reading!

July 16, 2018- I absolutely love this quote from Chris Colfer, “A villain is just a victim whose story hasn’t been told.”

Ever since I was a child, I always rooted for the bad guy and I have to confess that as an adult, I still find villains more interesting. What interests me is the why behind what they do, how they act, and who they are and how they got to that point. The villain is always more intriguing than the hero I think because after all, they mustn’t have always been that way.

A part of them must have been good at one point; what changed? And don’t you think that we all teeter on the edge of becoming villains? What stops us? What separates us (the good guys) from them (the bad guys)? I urge you to consider writing your story from the villain’s perspective; change things up and let your readers experience a different point of view! Happy Writing!

July 13, 2018- If I can’t take my book I’m not going! I saw this scrawled across a t-shirt while in Starbucks one afternoon and I chuckled to myself because that’s entirely me.

I bring a book with me wherever I go. I’m not kidding; I’m a fan of paperbacks, which works well most of the time for convenience and portability, but every now and then I will bring my Kindle or read on my phone. I know, nothing beats the feel and experience of a real book in hand, but desperate times…

Last year I was able to read 52 books in a year, that’s one a week, and here’s how I did it. I read during the spaces in between as I like to call them. I read on planes, trains, and in automobiles. I read while waiting at the doctor’s office, while waiting for clients, and I even listen to books if I’m commuting somewhere. There are so many choices for voracious readers that I ask you, what do you choose? Are you a die-hard Kindle user? Do you prefer hardcover books? Do you listen to audiobooks? Do you carry a paperback with you wherever you go? Sound off in the comments below and let me know where and how you choose to read!

July 11, 2018-I am a huge believer in reading to kids, even while they are still in utero; you can never start too early! Reading is a love that can be lost unfortunately and needs to be reignited every now and then. For adults, it’s especially tough because let’s face it, life gets in the way. Between paying bills, working, and carting the kids off to different events and activities, the first things to go are the things that we enjoy, such as taking a break to escape into a book.

Reading is so critical because not only does it allow us to be role models to the little ones watching our every move, but it encourages us to live more than one life. Reading expands our minds and imaginations, and it does the same for our children. Literacy is crucial especially right now in the digital world that we live in; most families don’t make time anymore to read to their kids before bed or take turns reading chapters as a family after dinner. We are in such a hurry for everything that our lives are moving at an alarming pace and we are forgetting what matters. Your kids are going to remember the nights you snuggled up and read with them, they’ll remember the books that they laughed at and cried with, they’ll remember the time you took to read to them, and they will be forever grateful. Reading is not just a past time, but a responsibility that we should not take lightly. So, read. Read as much as you can and read whatever you can get your hands on. And, read to your kids because their future love of books depends on it.

July 9, 2018- In June, I was invited by a dear friend of mine, to participate in a challenge on Facebook. This challenge was right up my alley, and I’m so glad that she chose me to share in this specific task. Mary Ann explained that each day for fifteen days that I would have to share a book that changed my life. I have never been so excited as this to take part in anything in my life! Some of the books that made the cut were Great Expectations by Dickens, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; each and every one of these books among others, had an enormous impact on my life and I’m so grateful for each experience. Check out my Facebook page, Pandamonium Publishing House, for my complete list of the fifteen books that changed me.

This week I want to challenge you to do the same, please choose and share the fifteen books that changed your life. You can share one or two at a time, whatever suits you best, and just know that by doing so, you will inspire others to pick up the titles, or that by sharing the books that you love, you may ignite another person’s love of reading. Not long after I posted my book on day three, I received a message on my timeline from a friend that said because of my daily posts, she was inspired to read again for the first time in a long time. Nothing makes me happier than people reading! I hope that you’ll take me up on this challenge. Happy reading!

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